Qantas to test in-flight iPad entertainment system

Qantas has announced they will begin a trial run for an in-flight entertainment system centered around Apple's iPad tablet, initially limiting the test to a single Boeing 767-300 which allows streaming of music and video content to all of the aircraft's 254 seats.

In what it’s trumpeting as a ‘world first’, Qantas will next month begin trials of Apple’s iPad for in-flight entertainment, using wi-fi to stream content to the tablets from a central server on the aircraft.

The central server will use 5 WiFi access points throughout the aircraft, of which each iPad can connect to using a custom pre-loaded 'Q Streaming' app that bypasses Apple's default iOS homescreen and instead presents users with an on-demand library of content to stream. Qantas says that if any passenger decides to take one home with them, the iPad will be essentially rendered useless outside of the aircraft thanks to their Q Streaming app lockdown.

Passengers who opt to bring their own tablet or laptop can also hook into the new content streaming system, and Qantas will additionally allow a 24-hour viewing window for those using their own device if the movie is cut short by the flight. If successful, Qantas will add an additional 10 aircraft to the program and they're also considering bringing it to the Airbus A330.

I don't know about you, but the prospect of being able to hook my iPad into a content-rich streaming system would surely make a cross-country flight a lot less unbearable.